25th July, 2010
The Eighth Sunday of Trinity
Beginning with today’s feast of St James, the church calendar this week offers us a great company of saints, ancient and modern. Each day we can travel in time and space to sit at the Lord’s feet with a different mentor.
St James the Greater, one of a pair of hot-headed brothers whom Jesus nicknamed the ‘sons of thunder’, was the first disciple to be martyred for confessing Jesus as Lord. On Monday, Anglicans join with the Orthodox and Roman Catholics to honour the parents of the Virgin Mary, known by tradition as Joachim and Anne. On Tuesday and then Friday we remember two modern Anglican forefathers: the great Biblical scholar Bishop Westcott of Durham (d. 1901), and the social reformer William Wilberforce (d. 1833), who fought as an MP for the abolition of the slave trade. Saturday is the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556), founder of the Jesuits, and of a school of spirituality that has helped many grow closer to God.
On Thursday, we remember Martha and Mary of Bethany, those two unforgettable sisters who welcomed Jesus into their home several times. Something interesting always happened at these encounters, whether it was Martha complaining that her sister wasn’t helping her (Luke 10. 38-42), or Jesus raising their brother Lazarus from the tomb (John 11.1-45), or Mary anointing Jesus with costly, fragrant ointment in the days before his Passion (John 12.1-7).
There is a saint for every taste this week—why not choose the individual or pair who speaks the most to you, and observe his or their day? Find out more about your chosen one(s), then, like Martha, invite them to a meal with you—really!—and like Mary, sit with them at the Lord’s feet in prayer and fellowship.
Now as they went on their way, [Jesus] entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her’ (Luke 10.38-42).
The Revd Dr Jane Baun,Curate
The Eighth Sunday of Trinity
Beginning with today’s feast of St James, the church calendar this week offers us a great company of saints, ancient and modern. Each day we can travel in time and space to sit at the Lord’s feet with a different mentor.
St James the Greater, one of a pair of hot-headed brothers whom Jesus nicknamed the ‘sons of thunder’, was the first disciple to be martyred for confessing Jesus as Lord. On Monday, Anglicans join with the Orthodox and Roman Catholics to honour the parents of the Virgin Mary, known by tradition as Joachim and Anne. On Tuesday and then Friday we remember two modern Anglican forefathers: the great Biblical scholar Bishop Westcott of Durham (d. 1901), and the social reformer William Wilberforce (d. 1833), who fought as an MP for the abolition of the slave trade. Saturday is the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556), founder of the Jesuits, and of a school of spirituality that has helped many grow closer to God.
On Thursday, we remember Martha and Mary of Bethany, those two unforgettable sisters who welcomed Jesus into their home several times. Something interesting always happened at these encounters, whether it was Martha complaining that her sister wasn’t helping her (Luke 10. 38-42), or Jesus raising their brother Lazarus from the tomb (John 11.1-45), or Mary anointing Jesus with costly, fragrant ointment in the days before his Passion (John 12.1-7).
There is a saint for every taste this week—why not choose the individual or pair who speaks the most to you, and observe his or their day? Find out more about your chosen one(s), then, like Martha, invite them to a meal with you—really!—and like Mary, sit with them at the Lord’s feet in prayer and fellowship.
Now as they went on their way, [Jesus] entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her’ (Luke 10.38-42).
The Revd Dr Jane Baun,Curate